It is known that bearings rotatably supporting a rotor of a generator of a wind turbine relative to the stator of the generator of the wind turbine heat up during operation of the wind turbine. It is difficult to maintain an even heat distribution across the bearing, i.e. particularly across respective outer and inner rings. Especially, during initial operation of the wind turbine, i.e. during so called cold start-up situations, the outer and inner rings of the bearing can experience comparatively large temperature differences or gradients, respectively resulting in comparatively high mechanical loads, particularly mechanical stresses, within the bearing.
A known approach for operating a wind turbine involves a temporary or even complete stop of the operation of the wind turbine, i.e. a temporary or even complete shutdown of the wind turbine, when certain temperature differences within the bearing are determined. In this case, the wind turbine does not produce electric power.
Since respective temperature differences within the bearing regularly occur, this approach typically results in often shut-downs of the wind turbine which is an improvable situation in regard of the general aim of continuously operating of the wind turbine and continuously producing electric power.